In recent years, a large number of various video and audio signals is presented not only through the conventional ground-wave broadcasting but also through a variety of communication routes such as BS (Broadcasting Satellite) digital broadcasting and communication networks. Speaking about the communication networks, a large number of digital video and audio signals is presented to the end user at a high speed.
In addition, the storage capacities of a variety of recording mediums or the storage capacities of various kinds of recording media are increasing at a very high pace and, at the same time, the prices of the recording mediums are decreasing in a short period of time. The recording mediums include a magnetic disk such as a hard disk, an optical disk such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) and a magneto-optical disk known as an MO disk. Thus, the end user can store a large number of information signals such as video and audio signals presented to the user through a variety of communication routes in a recording medium owned by the user itself by using a recording/reproduction apparatus also of its own as a large amount of data and use the signals.
By the way, if information signals such as video and audio signals of a broadcast program have been stored in a disk-shaped recording medium such as a hard disk having a large storage capacity as described above, a conceivably rising demand for effective and efficient utilization of the information signals can be met by taking advantage of the accessibility merit, which is offered by the disk-shaped recording medium to allow the medium to be searched for a desired scene of a desired broadcast program at a high speed so as to allow the scene to be reproduced quickly.
Even though the storage capacity of the recording medium is large, the capacity is by no means unlimited, requiring considerations to utilize the recording medium as efficiently as possible and to avoid a problem caused by an insufficient storage capacity.
It is thus an object of the present invention addressing the above problems to provide an information-signal process apparatus capable of recording a large number of information signals effectively and with a high degree of efficiency onto a recording medium having a large storage capacity for storing the information signals and capable of utilizing the recording medium with a high degree of efficiency as well as provide an information-signal process method to be adopted by the information-signal process apparatus.